The overall goal of the AIDS Research Collaboration (ARC) of RCNH is to strengthen the infi-astructure for IRV/AIDS research through coordinated interdisciplinary collaboration at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A&M University. The College has demonstrated commitment to minority education through "excellence with caring", and is at the forefront in producing minority researchers in the biomedical sciences. Despite the significant progress made in understanding the molecular characteristics of the human immunodeficiency virus (MV) and action mechanism of anti-FHV agents, the efficacy of the agents remain at the low end. Therefore, an aggressive exploitation of new anti-ERV agents and their mechanism of action is planned through coordinated research collaboration. Another impetus for this activity is to take a step toward a remedy of the persistent disparity in the number of minority investigators involved in FflV/AIDS research. The difficulty in implanting AIDS research at historically black colleges and universities is due to the lack of adequate resources, trained investigators and research infiwtructure for AIDS. In fight of the goal, the ARC has developed the following four specific aims in this application: (1) enhance research collaboration activities; (2) increase minority investigators (faculty and graduate students); (3) augment cell culture and computer-based molecular modeling laboratories; and (4) support FHV/AIDS research projects in the area of drug discovery and phamiaceutical/therapeutic evaluation. The vqxrted outcomes of this activity are the positive impact on the university research community; an increased number of competent minority AIDS researchers and their competitiveness through collaboration and sharing resources; and high productivity in publishing results that will lead to an increase in funding opportunities for investigators.